Tuesday, February 28, 2017

One morning in 1992, Bosniak Ramo Kadric drove to work to start his bread delivery route in the town of Srebrenica. A few hours later, he was about to be killed by Serb militants. A Serb friend rushed in to help him. Many Bosniaks and Serbs fled Srebrenica when the war first reached them in April of 1992 and Serb forces started looting the town. The militants, coming from Croatian Vukovar, were armed to the teeth, wearing camouflage uniforms, black gloves, bandoliers and ski masks. At the time, the Bosnian War was still gathering steam as violence escalated between Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs and Muslim Bosniaks in the once peaceful Yugoslav republic. In neighboring Croatia, the war was already in full swing. Serb and Croat forces, dredging up old divisions, embraced the symbols of Chetniks and Ustasha, nationalistic paramilitary groups notorious for their crimes in World War II. The massacre of Srebrenica, where Serb forces killed thousands of Bosnian men and boys in 1995, was still three years in the future. When the paramilitaries first entered the town in 1992, most of the locals tried to keep off the streets. Mile Janjic, a local veterinarian and an ethnic Serb, did not. "The streets were empty and I was just driving around, eventually reaching the main square," Mile told DW. "A group of those Vukovar folks was outside a supermarket which they looted earlier. So I get closer and I see one of them is aiming his rifle at a man who was tied up in front of the supermarket, near the stairs. I knew the man. So I shouted, 'What are you doing?' at this 'soldier' and I pulled the barrel of his rifle to point it downwards." "The guy told me, 'We caught this ustasha so I want to kill him.' And I yelled, 'How can you tell me who the ustasha are around here when I'm the one who lives here?' I was moving towards Ramo, and the people from Vukovar were just exchanging glances and whispering, probably thinking I was a nutcase, going barehanded against a rifle," Mile says. Today, Mile Janjic is the owner of a veterinary station in Srebrenica. People who know him say he is kindhearted and cheerful. He doesn't like telling the story of saving his friend Ramo, but he still remembers it like it was yesterday. "Ramo was scared out of his mind. I told him not to be afraid and that I will not let them kill him. I wasn't in the army, I had no uniform," he told DW. "I noticed Ramo's green [Volkswagen] Golf right down the street, and I saw a woman that I knew walking by, her name was Rada, she was a nurse. I told her: 'His car is right there, drive him out of here so he doesn't get killed.' And that's how it happened. The Vukovar paramilitaries did not react. There were a few bystanders too… Anyway, Ramo survived." Ramo Kadrić had driven to Srebrenica that morning to do his job - deliver bread. But when he got to the bakery in the suburbs, he was captured by three police officers who made him sing Serbian nationalist songs. They threatened to kill him if he refused. "I wasn't just singing, I was howling out as loud as I could so they wouldn't kill me. They took me to the main square and handed me over to the paramilitaries so they would kill me. I was half-dead with fear when Mile came. We knew each other from before. He was arguing, fighting them, to this day I have no idea how he managed to stop them from killing me and save me. If he hadn't showed up, I would have ended up as the first casualty of war in Srebrenica," says Ramo. "And this woman, who also helped me, she took me to her apartment. I spent the night there and in the morning, she took me to the bakery where I found my truck. I drove it back to my village and she drove behind me in my car. I heard she was killed later during the war. To this day, I am sorry for not having the chance to help her back, to save her, because I heard she was killed by 'our' forces, the Muslims." Ramo and Mile got back in touch only after the end of the war. They talked on the phone in 1997 and set up a meeting in a restaurant outside Sarajevo. Mile came all the way from Srebrenica for it. "It was tough meeting him, lots of tears," Ramo says, his eyes tearing up again as he tells the story. "You just see the man who let you live, who gave your life back to you. He then came over to my house, and we talked the whole night. When I eventually got back to my old house, he helped me a lot. He even lent me money. Whatever he could do, he would." Ramo managed to return to his home village in 2001, where he is making a decent living by farming and breeding cattle. He heads to Srebrenica from time to time, and his friendship with Mile stays strong. "Almost every time I go to the town, we have coffee together. He also comes to check on my cattle," Ramo says. "We always visit each other for Christmas and for Eid. We'll keep doing that as long as we live."

^ I was living in Germany during the Bosnian War and saw how the Germans, Europeans, Americans, etc. did little to nothing for years to help those affected by the ethnic cleansings. The Stars and Stripes posted a few pictures of the Bosnian concentration camps (at the time we were studying the Holocaust in school) and so many governments, organizations and people around the world compared what was happening in the former Yugoslavia to what happened in German-occupied Europe and yet that was the extent of their "action" - - only words. People always say "Never Again" and yet continue to do little to nothing when ethnic cleansing is occurring. ^

"Federal government buying new radar system to better detect severe weather"

The federal government is moving to improve Canada’s ability to warn people about severe weather, including tornadoes. The government says it will buy 20 state-of-the-art weather radars that will be built across the country over seven years starting this fall. Environment Canada says the combination of these radars, along with a recently acquired supercomputer, will give people more time to protect themselves and their property from severe weather. Minister Catherine McKenna says the modernized network will also provide weather information that can be used in almost every sector of the economy. The government says the new system will cover more of Canada and double the detection range for tornadoes and other severe weather. The new system will also help forecasters better distinguish between rain, snow, hail and freezing rain.

^ This will help save lives by giving more people more advanced warning of dangerous storms. ^

The pacific nation of Kiribati has rejected a proposal to construct an “alternative Russia” on the territory of three of its unoccupied islands. The unusual plan came from millionaire Anton Bakov, a former Russian parliamentarian who now leads the obscure Russian Monarchist Party, the Lenta.ru news site reported. The eccentric politician offered to invest around $350 million in Kiribati in return for the right to resurrect the Russian Empire there. Bakov promised to develop the three islands he would rent from the impoverished nation. He planned to build an airport, a seaport, a solar energy station, hospitals, schools, and even the University of the Russian Empire. Nonetheless, on Feb. 24, a special government commission on foreign investment rejected the proposal. The stumbling block appears to have been Bakov's request for temporary sovereign rights over the islands. The millionaire presented the plan as more of a technical restoration of the Russian Empire than colonization of the Pacific. “The equatorial climate doesn't suit the Russian people...” he told the Guardian. As a result, “the number of Russian's living on the islands will likely be one to two percent.”

From Disability Scoop:"GoFundMe Looks To Help Athletes With Disabilities"

As thousands of athletes with disabilities from around the world prepare to converge upon the Special Olympics, they’re getting some help to make their way. GoFundMe has partnered with Special Olympics to highlight the stories of hundreds of athletes set to compete in the World Winter Games in Austria next month. Nearly 500 campaigns on the crowdfunding platform developed by teams and coaches as well as Olympians and other influencers are designed to showcase the athletes while also helping them foot the bill for travel, coaching, equipment and other expenses. The first-of-its-kind social media fundraising push for the organization comes just weeks ahead of the Special Olympics World Winter Games, which are set to kick off March 14. Approximately 2,700 athletes and 1,000 coaches are expected from 107 countries for the nearly two-week event featuring competition in nine different sports ranging from floorball to figure skating and snowshoeing. The opening ceremony will include performances by Jason Mraz and “America’s Got Talent” winner Grace VanderWaal, organizers said. ABC will broadcast the opening ceremony on March 18 live with additional coverage of the competition on ESPN2, ABC and ESPN’s website and app.

^ The Summer and Winter Olympic athletes get lots of sponsors and money thrown at them. The Summer and Winter Special Olympics athletes aren't given mch attention, sponsors or money and so many can not participate. I am glad that GoFundMe is working with the Special Olympics to help bring awareness and funding to these athletes. They deserve the same chance to compete as anyone else. ^

Police are searching for the vandals who damaged what one local rabbi said was nearly 500 headstones at a Jewish graveyard in Philadelphia. Money is being raised to repair the graves and to identify and prosecute the apparently anti-Semitic attackers. The vandalism comes less than a week after a Jewish cemetery near St Louis, Missouri, was defaced. On Monday morning, more than a dozen Jewish Community Centers (JCC) in the US received telephone bomb threats. The threats were made to JCC locations in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. In a statement, the JCC's David Posner said that government officials "must speak out - and speak out forcefully - against this scourge of anti-Semitism impacting communities across the country". "Actions speak louder than words. Members of our community must see swift and concerted action from federal officials to identify and capture the perpetrator or perpetrators who are trying to instill anxiety and fear in our communities," the statement read. Later on Monday, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the recent bomb threats against Jewish groups are "unacceptable" and a "very serious and destructive practice". A man visiting his father's grave at Philadelphia's Mount Carmel Cemetery on Sunday called police after finding that approximately 100 headstones had been knocked over. "I'm hoping it was maybe just some drunk kids," Aaron Mallin told WPVI-TV. He added that it was "very disheartening" to find the damaged graves, and that he hopes that the vandalism was not motivated by anti-Semitism. "But the fact that there's so many, it leads one to think it could have been targeted," Mr Mallin said about cemetery, which dates back to the mid-1800s. Many of the headstones had been toppled over, and some had cracked in half. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that three adjacent Christian cemeteries were left undamaged. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney denounced the attackers, saying, "my heart breaks for the families who found their loved ones' headstones toppled... Hate is not permissible in Philadelphia." Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon posted a statement on Twitter saying, "#Philadelphia Jewish cemetery desecration is shocking and a source of worry. Full confidence #US authorities catch and punish culprits." Thousands of dollars have been raised to pay for the repairs and another $13,000 offered as a reward to catch the perpetrators. On Saturday morning residents of a Buffalo suburb awoke to find bridges, cars, and a school playground defaced with anti-Semitic words and symbols. At the daily press briefing White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that President Donald Trump "continues to be deeply disappointed and concerned about the reports of further vandalism at... Jewish cemeteries." "The president continues to condemn these and any other forms of anti-Semitic and hateful acts in the strongest terms," Mr Spicer added. The FBI is currently investigating over 50 hoax bomb threats phoned into Jewish Community Centres in at least 26 states since the beginning of January.

^ This is unacceptable. It is clearly being done by a bunch of bigots and anti-Semites across the US. We need to do more to make sure these kinds of attacks are stopped and those that have done them are punished severely. ^

Sunday, February 26, 2017

The smiling face of a 7-year-old with Down syndrome will greet customers at thousands of Walgreens stores this spring as part of an Easter promotion. The drugstore chain said a photo of Grace Driscoll, a Chicago kindergartner, is part of signage appearing in all of Walgreens’ more than 8,000 locations nationwide. Driscoll is one of two kids featured in a “dangler” hanging from the ceiling above the section of the store with seasonal merchandise, which went on display right after Valentine’s Day. “This would probably be the first time that we’ve profiled someone with a cognitive disability in recent memory,” said Phil Caruso, a spokesman for Walgreens. “We wanted this marketing campaign to be inclusive. This image felt authentic — it didn’t feel forced — and that worked for our brand.” Driscoll was selected to model for the campaign after a talent agency reached out to her mom, Katie Driscoll, who runs Changing the Face of Beauty, a nonprofit focused on increasing representation of people with disabilities in advertising. “How nice will it be for families with children with (a) disability to feel represented when they shop for Easter candy,” Katie Driscoll told Disability Scoop. “This is extremely significant. When are children with disabilities included in this type of store signage across the nation? Virtually never. It is important that all kids are represented all the time.” Caruso said the decision to feature a child with Down syndrome in Walgreens’ Easter marketing is part of the company’s broader efforts to be inclusive and ensure that advertising is reflective of the retailer’s customer base. With the move, Walgreens joins a handful of other major brands — including Target and Nordstrom — that have sought out children with disabilities to feature in their promotions in recent years. Outside of advertising, Walgreens is well-known in the business community for championing hiring of people with disabilities.

^ I've seen the picture of the new promotion and it's a nice, easy, carefree one (which is what you want in an Easter/Spring sign.) It's nice to see that Walgreens is breaking the mold in terms of not simply re-using a promotion or style that has been used by everyone else for decades. ^

Actor Bill Paxton, who was best known for his role in the sci-fi classic Aliens, has died at the age of 61, US media report. Paxton had reportedly suffered from complications following surgery. The Texan actor's biggest hits included The Terminator, Apollo 13, True Lies, Titanic, and 1996's Twister - in which he starred opposite Helen Hunt. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Louise Newbury, and their two children. Paxton won an Emmy for his performance in the TV mini-series Hatfields and McCoys, alongside Kevin Costner. He also earned three Best Actor Golden Globe nominations for his starring role in the HBO drama Big Love, where he played a suburban polygamist juggling three wives and families. At the time of his death, he was working on a crime thriller TV series - Training Day - for the US network CBS. He played a morally dubious LAPD officer, Detective Frank Rourke. Fellow Hollywood stars were quick to pay tribute to Paxton as news of his death spread - among them West Wing actor Rob Lowe. He wrote on Twitter: "Devastated by the sudden loss of my close friend and one of the finest actors in the business, Bill Paxton. Renaissance man, raconteur and uniquely American national treasure. His filmography speaks for itself. His friendship was a blessing. My love to Bunny, James and Lydia. "In his memory, on this Oscar Sunday, watch One False Move or A Simple Plan to see this lovely leading man, at his finest." Cary Elwes, his co-star in Twister, shared a picture of the pair together and praised his "talent, enthusiasm and energy". Jamie Lee Curtis, who co-starred with Paxton in True Lies in 1994, tweeted her sadness, writing: "Nooooo. Bill Paxton is gone. Such a funny, talented, loving human." Paxton's family said in a statement: "A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker. "Bill's passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable. We ask to please respect the family's wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father."

^ This is sad. I went on one of my last dates in Germany to see "Twister" and one of my first dates in New York to see "Titanic." ^

Ricardo Shimosakai has been to 25 countries and 200 holiday destinations. But he sometimes finds it difficult to travel in his home country, Brazil. Ricardo has been a wheelchair user since 2001, when he was shot after an attempted kidnapping. He is now a tourist agent who specialises in finding holiday packages for people with mobility issues. He believes all tourists - regardless of any disability they may have - should be able to go anywhere they please, and not just to destinations with good standards of accessibility. But sometimes that is easier said than done. "One time flying back from Argentina, I had to sit inside the plane for more than one hour in Sao Paulo. The company did not have anyone to help me get off the plane," he says. The sad part, he says, is that this was not an isolated incident. It happens repeatedly to virtually all wheelchair users who fly in Brazil. One of the main differences with the US or European countries is that Brazilian airports do not have a dedicated company to assist passengers in wheelchairs. That task is left to each airline, some of them with very poorly trained staff. The level of service to passengers in wheelchairs is always left to chance. "In Brazil, our accessibility conditions are too precarious. People with disabilities are not seen as consumers," says Ricardo. It is not just airports and planes that are below international standard. The whole infrastructure is poor, even in big cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Ricardo once had a request for a travel package for a group of 22 people from Israel - 10 of whom were wheelchair users. "There is no transport company in Brazil that can assist 10 people in wheelchairs at the same time. Also no hotels would be able to house all of them together. We would have to split them into three hotels, far away from each other," says Ricardo. "I never heard from the Israeli group again." If that group had wanted to go to France, on the other hand, Ricardo would have been better placed to assist them. He offers a package for groups of up to 14 people. There they use the same bus, see all sights together and spend the night in the same hotel. Ricardo has made a career out of fighting for change. It is hard for him to offer good holiday packages to his clients - as he does not own the airports, buses and hotels. But he can reach out to the owners and authorities to demand better infrastructure, and has won awards for his work. "In Brazil people will only act to help out others with disabilities out of obligation or pity. No-one sees the person with disability as a proper consumer, as they are seen abroad. Other countries earn billions of dollars offering services to this niche. But not here." It is estimated that more than 24 million people have some sort of disability in the country, although there is little detail about that number. Statistics show that people with disabilities are at an economic disadvantage in Brazil - they have higher unemployment rates and a lower level of education. "Even if you have money, many things are denied to you if you have a disability," says Andrea Koppe, from Unilehu, a non-governmental organisation that helps people with disabilities "Some schools won't take in children with special needs, saying they lack the preparation and specialisation. Others say parents have to pay extra for special tutors, in the case of visually impaired students." Brazil has been trying to change that with affirmative action. Since 1991, legislation requires companies with more than 100 employees to give at least 2% of their jobs to people with disabilities. Andrea Koppe says that over the course of 20 years, that has helped transform many disabled people who were once ignored by shops and companies into proper consumers. The number of people with disabilities in the labour market rose from 15,000 to 350,000.

Still, she says that if the affirmative action law had been followed fully and properly, that number should be more than a million. Overall there are 11 million people of working age with disabilities - and most of them are unemployed. Ricardo Shimosakai says there is much work to be done by everyone. He is still trying to convince Brazilian authorities of the importance of changing regulation.

The country is about to privatise some of its airports. The tourist agent would like to see contracts that demand airport administrators hire specialised firms to assist disabled passengers, as happens elsewhere. But from his own experience, most businesses don't have the energy to promote change.

The wheelchair he uses was given to him by an airline as compensation. The company had broken his because staff did not have a proper way to transport it. "I tried talking to them," he says. "But instead of properly training their staff, they just thought it would be easier to buy me a new one. They don't want to change things."

^ I have travelled around the world with someone in a wheelchair and have seen first-hand the countless pitfalls and discrimination the disabled face. Of course I am not disabled and so can never fully understand how it must fell to be treated in such a disgusting manner in the second decade of the 21st Century. Countries around the world need to start actively making and enforcing laws protecting the disabled in all aspects of life (from workplaces, to schools, to travel, etc.) There is no reason for any person or company to discriminate (overtly or covertly) against the disabled. It should be 100% illegal and there should be harsh penalties for those that do. ^

Kyiv is hosting a March of Solidarity with the Crimean Tatar people, Ukrainians, and representatives of other nationalities living in a temporarily occupied Crimea. On this day three years ago, Crimean Tatar activists held a rally outside the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which was opposed by those supporting Crimea accession to Russia. Following the Crimea annexation, Russian law enforcers started a persecution campaign against Crimean Tatar activists who took part in street protests February 26, 2014. According to Russian investigators, on that day, two protesters were killed and another 79 suffered injuries of varying severity as a result of the clashes. The occupation authorities have not ceased repression against pro-Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activists ever since. 17 people are reported missing, 12 have been killed, 39 are being kept behind bars as political prisoners, 10 of whom have already been convicted. At the same time, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people has been banned in Crimea as an "extremist" organization. Ukraine has recently launched a campaign titled "Crimea is Ukraine. 1,096 days of resistance." On February 26, 2017, a March of Solidarity with the Crimean Tatar people, Ukrainians, and representatives of other nationalities living in a temporarily occupied Crimea is being held in Kyiv. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has officially announced February 20, 2014 the date of the beginning of the temporary occupation by Russia of Crimea and Sevastopol. International organizations have not recognized the illegal occupation of Crimea and condemned Russia's actions. Western powers have introduced a series of economic sanctions against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine.

^ Well over 1,000 days and the Ukraine is still fighting on its own while the world does little to nothing. The Crimea is still annexed and the Russians in the Donbass continue to fight. ^

Friday, February 24, 2017

He may remain a hero for many Russians, but in Russia's Ingushetia republic Stalin is an enemy of the people whose commemoration may soon be banned. On Tuesday, the North Caucasian republic's parliament unanimously passed a law banning Stalin in its first reading, the TASS news agency reported. Beyond banning Stalin monuments, streets, and town names, the law also makes it illegal to publically express support for the Soviet dictator or even publicly display his image in a positive light. Parliamentary committee chairperson Maryam Amrieva said that celebrating Stalin was "blasphemy." She added that Stalin "deported dozens of ethnic groups" and "killed or jailed tens of thousands of members of the intelligentsia and military." Ingushetia's anger toward Stalin is not unmerited. During World War II, Stalin deported the entire Ingush and Chechen ethnic groups from their homeland to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for allegedly collaborating with Nazi Germany. The Ingush parliament voted on the law to mark the 73 anniversary of the deportations. The two ethnic groups were eventually rehabilitated after Stalin's death and allowed to return home in 1957, but the damage had already been done. During the deportation and their 13-year exile, more than a third of the deportees died. Ingushetia's ban comes as Stalin's popularity reaches a peak elsewhere in Russia. According tosurvey resultspublished by the independent Levada Center pollster earlier this month, more Russians now approve of Stalin than at any other time over the last 16 year. Of 1,600 people surveyed across Russia, 46 percent expressed approval of Stalin — making him the third most popular head of state after President Vladimir Putin and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, respectively.

^ This is long over-do. Even the Communist elite who worked side-by-side Stalin denounced him and his crimes a few years after his death and they helped him commit them. ^ https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russias-ingushetia-republic-moves-to-ban-stalin-57255

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

From the BBC:"Hustings event hears call for sign language act to be introduced"

Members of Northern Ireland's deaf community have called for the introduction of a sign language act. They made the appeal at an election hustings in Belfast on Tuesday. The event was attended by representatives from the five largest political parties. Speaking though an interpreter, Majella McAteer from the British Deaf Association says the move was long overdue. "Language, such as Irish or Ulster Scots, whilst they provide people in Northern Ireland with an option, you can choose to use Irish or Ulster Scots, sign language is ultimately a language of lead, it's completely different," she said. Ms McAteer said the event provided an opportunity for those attending to learn at first hand more about the issues on the campaign trail. "It's an opportunity for the deaf people to come along and see in their first language, which is sign language, five parties and their representatives giving some information about their manifestos and their political policies," she said. "It's giving deaf people an opportunity to make some better and more informed decisions about which party they'll vote for."

^ This seems like a good step to bring more awareness to sign language in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. ^

An iron gate bearing the infamous slogan "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work will set you free") has been returned to Dachau, the former Nazi death camp, after it was stolen two years ago. The gate, which weighs 100kg (15 stone) was reported missing in November 2014. The theft sparked outrage across the world, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling the crime "appalling". An anonymous tip-off led to its recovery near Bergen in Norway in December last year. No arrests have been made over the theft so far. Dachau, near Munich, was the first concentration camp set up by the Nazis in 1933. More than 40,000 people died there before its liberation by US troops in 1945. A ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the gate's return to the site. The president of the International Dachau Committee, Jean-Michel Thomas, called for further investigations into the theft, which he described as "deeply shocking". The perpetrators had tried to "remove a trace, a symbol of all that is represented by the inscription 'Arbeit Macht Frei' on this gate of Dachau camp that some 210,000 detainees walked through from 1933 to 1945", he said. The gate was stolen on a Saturday night between the rounds of security guards watching the site. At the time, police raised fears that the thieves could be neo-Nazis. The gate will now be placed in the museum at Dachau. The memorial attracts about 800,000 visitors a year. US Vice President Mike Pence visited earlier in February, accompanied by his wife and daughter.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the complete demolition of Moscow’s post-war Khrushchevkas: Soviet housing blocks which once offered hope to millions of families after World War II. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Tuesday that 1.6 million Muscovites were still living in the buildings, many of which were not designed to last more than a few decades. He described the buildings as “uncomfortable, largely dilapidated housing,” and promised that demolition work would be complete by the end of 2018. Khrushchevkas were assembled en masse across the Soviet Union throughout the 1950s and 1960s in a bid to tackle the country’s post-war housing crisis. They were affectionately named in honor of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who pioneered the scheme. Low-cost and quick to build, most of the apartments are comprised of one or two rooms alongside a private kitchen and bathroom. The buildings themselves were generally limited to five storeys in order to avoid the need to install an elevator. For millions of Russians, they were a luxurious upgrade from the communal flats which were lauded as the future during the early Communist period. The Khrushchevkas were only designed to last a few decades. Soviet leaders believed that by the time “true Communism” arrived in Russia (hopefully at some point in the 1980s) replacements would already have been built. Instead, the buildings became an integral part of Soviet culture and were romanticized in popular movies such as 1970’s “Irony of Fate.” Pre-fabricated apartment blocks continued to be built in Russia until the end of the Soviet era.

^ I have seen and been in lots of Khrushchevkas throughout Russia and the Ukraine. They aren't the nicest looking (inside or outside.) I understand that they were a huge improvement to forcing severing families (strangers) to live together as they did in the 1920s-1950s. Each family got a room and all the families shared the kitchen and bathroom. I wonder what is going to happen to the 1.6 million Muscovites that live in these buildings. Are they just going to be evicted or are they going to get a better apartment? ^

Site of Battle of the Longwoods, 1814; War of 1812 Wardsville, Ontario

Battle of Cook's Mills National Historic Site of Canada

Site of British victory; War of 1812
Cook's Mills, Ontario

Battle of the Châteauguay National Historic Site of Canada

Site of 1813 battle in defence of Lower Canada; War of 1812
Allans Corners, Quebec

Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site of Canada

Site of last naval battle in Seven Years' War
Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec

Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site of Canada

American invasion mission foiled, 1838
Prescott, Ontario

Battle of Tourond's Coulee / Fish Creek National Historic Site of Canada

Site of battle between Métis and Canadian forces, Northwest Rebellion 1885
Fish Creek, Saskatchewan

Battlefield of Fort George National Historic Site of Canada

War of 1812, capture of Fort George by Americans, 1813
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Beaubassin National Historic Site of Canada

Major Acadian settlement; pivotal place in the 17th- and 18th-century North American geopolitical struggle between the British and French empires
Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia

Beaubears Island Shipbuilding National Historic Site of Canada

Archaeological site associated with nineteenth-century shipbuilding in New Brunswick
Beaubears Island, New Brunswick

Beausoleil Island National Historic Site of Canada

Representative of the cultural landscape of the Anishinaabeg of the southern Georgian Bay region. A setting for traditional narratives that record the island’s creation and meaning.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park of Canada, Ontario

Traversed by Palliser expedition, 1857-60; adopted by Canadian Pacific Railway as their new route through the Rockies, 1881
Yoho National Park, British Columbia

Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site of Canada

Protection for the Royal Naval Dockyard and the entrance to the Rideau Canal; War of 1812
Kingston, Ontario

kitjigattalik - Ramah Chert Quarries National Historic Site of Canada

Site actively quarried from 5,000 to 600 years ago for Ramah chert, a visually distinctive and important stone type used by several ancient cultures of the northeast in the manufacture of tools and other objects.
Torngat Mountain National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador

Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada

Yukon's UNESCO World Heritage Site contains Canada's highest peak.

Kootenae House National Historic Site of Canada

Site of North West Company post, 1807-12
Invermere, British Columbia

Kootenay National Park of Canada

UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the famous Radium Hot Springs.

Kouchibouguac National Park of Canada

Intricate Acadian blend of coastal and inland habitats.

L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada

Intimately associated with Lucy Maud Montgomery's formative years and early productive career
Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

La Coupe Dry Dock National Historic Site of Canada

Site may represent 18th-century Acadian construction
Aulac, New Brunswick

La Mauricie National Park of Canada

Lakes winding through forested hills for canoe and portage activities.

The chalet and guest house represent the prominent role played by outfitters, guides and the competing interests of railways in the development of the national parks.
Jasper National Park of Canada, Alberta

Largest and last Yukon commercial steamboat
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada

A wild and windswept island of sand sits far out in the North Atlantic, its iconic crescent shape emerging from the expanse of the sea. Isolated and remote, Sable Island is one of Canada’s furthest offshore islands.

Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

A rich diversity of marine life: whales, seals, plants and birds of all kinds.

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site

Saint Croix Island is the site of Pierre Dugua's first attempt at settlement in North America, which led to the establishment of the permanent colonies of Acadie and New France.
New Brunswick